


Broken Mirror

by Insomniackid7



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Making Up, Twin!Winter, Unintentional Self Harm, she punches a wall is all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 09:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2304680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insomniackid7/pseuds/Insomniackid7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weiss wondered when her and her twin, Winter forgot how to actually talk to each other. Talking, as in actual conversation. Not forced politeness, not two word answers, not passive aggressive taunts tied into sentences as tight as a quilt, not mutual put downs of those they deemed below them, not purple prose levels of thinly veiled insults. When they weren’t any of those then they were not saying anything or yelling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Mirror

Weiss wondered when her and her twin, Winter, forgot how to actually _talk_ to each other. Talking, as in _actual conversation_. Not forced politeness, not two word answers, not passive aggressive taunts tied into sentences as tight as a quilt, not mutual put downs of those they deemed below them, not purple prose levels of thinly veiled insults. When they weren’t any of those then they were not saying anything or yelling.

Like now.

“There she is, Miss Perfection! How wonderful of you to have come home! How’s Vale?” Winter yelled down the empty hall of the Schnee Mansion Weiss was desperately trying to power walk through. She gritted her teeth and kept going. She focused on the walls, gold wrappings on the crowning flowed down the small pillars created by the rectangular indents, every third one held a picture or painting framing family members and great moments for the company. “Oh, no! Big sis has important business apparently. Another businessman to meet? Are you going to fuck him into compliance? And then tell Daddy how your _excellent_ negotiating won him over?”

Weiss stopped with her fists tight at her side, she was all too aware of the cool metal of Myrtenaster sharply contrasting with her own heated skin. Winter’s venomous words sunk into her and melted away her patience, “Winter. Stop,” she turned to her twin dozens of feet down the hall, the muted blue lighting was all she had to go on to make her out, but her ice blue eyes and sneer broke shone brightly. “I am not in the mood. Father asked me some questions and he wanted to do it in private. That’s all.”

Winter strutted towards her in a way that would make boys see it as flirty, but Weiss knew it was a ruse. It was her taking her time in order to plot, to evaluate, all so she could make whoever willingly walk into her vicious web. Her dress was the opposite of Weiss’, Deep blue fading into pristine white. Her bolero had rounded angel sleeves and a black backing in contrast to Weiss’ red. She stopped two feet in front of the older sister, Winter’s smirk made Weiss want to punch it off. “So… Daddy wanted to ask you some questions. Did you fuck up, Weiss?”

“No.” Weiss said through gritted teeth.

“Not what I heard.” Not what she needled out of the right victim she means. “I heard that you asked for some information.”

“Documents” Weiss knew the word game. Winter was good at it. She could twist anyone’s words so well that it was a wonder she wasn’t head of the legal division. Weiss had played this game too much and too well to let her twin twist the facts into a verbal noose to hang from her neck. All it takes is a synonym, an obscured fact, and she could tie it to a totally unrelated situation to charge you with. Young heirs of companies have been blamed or blackmailed this way. Guilty or not, it was hard to break the spider’s web.

“Right, documents. Some very specific choices, including some… interesting ones, were transferred as well.” Winter casually steepled her hands, spreading them with each inflection and settling her weight on one leg.

“Get to the point Winter, I’d like to make my airship.” Weiss mirrored her sister, a move that always irritated the other girl.

Winter paused to almost imperceptibly narrow her eyes for second before slipping back into her charade with her sickeningly playful tone. “Those are extremely sensitive documents, ones that if you lost them, or I don’t know, end up in the wrong hands be very hurtful to Daddy. What did you need with them?”

“A school pro—“

“—School project, yes, I heard.” the heiress grinded her teeth, why ask a question you already know the answer to? She must be trying to stifle more elaboration and keeping her off guard. “Really, Weiss you can come up with something better than that. If it was for history than you could’ve looked up online anything you needed…as though you haven’t faithfully memorized it already. Finances aren’t taught at a _combat school_. So either this was a choose-your-own project sort of deal, or a personal one. Which is it?”

Weighing her options, answering the question was better than not. Else Winter would use the opening to compound accusation after accusation, before coming to a false conclusion that felt all too possible when spiced with Winter’s wickedly persuasive reasoning. The lies and slander would sound valid to most anyone else as well. “A personal one.” Weiss carefully, but firmly answered looking her twin in the eye. _Don’t let any weakness show, parry her onslaught, stop digging your nails into your hands._

“Hmm. I’m sure the news of the stolen Paladins that Mr. Ironwood and the SDC collaborated on reached you, correct?” It was a leading question. Winter already had an endgame in mind.

“Yes, I did. Ironwood is currently at our school, and he was quite distraught when the parts were found the next day. Shame he had to find out through the local newspaper.”

“Ah, yes the parts. Shame indeed. How do you suppose the thieves got their hands on that?”

Weiss put the dots together, “I had nothing to do with the theft, if that’s your assertion.”

“So quick to protest! I didn’t say anything like that.” Winter’s calculating smile told the opposite. “Although it’s funny that one of those Paladins went missing on the very day you requested information. And I asked to see the parts Weiss,” Winter’s eyes narrowed and a smirk evolved into a sickly sweet parody of a smile. “I saw Myrtenaster’s marks, and the dust-borne ice? Your favorite type of attack. So Weiss…were you covering your tracks? And, I don’t know, in the process got commended for your “good deeds” looking like a hero? Well by all means, hail to the Heiress!” Her demeanor cracked at the last word letting some of her bitter hate color it.

“Again, I had nothing to do with it. And if you asked for when I got the information, it would be in the afternoon, how could a Paladin be stolen in that short time?”

Winter’s eye twitched the tiniest bit, a hole in her reasoning, but she recovered, “True, true, that would be too short a timeframe. But the point still stands…Paladins went missing. A feat that had to be well thought out. Or... an inside job. So...did the rebellious heiress decide to switch to selling information?”

The hallway felt too cold, “Preposterous. Why would I sell out a company I will run? That’s counter-productive and your argument holds no water. You’re obviously trying to rile me up and I’m leaving.”

Weiss stomped down the hallway, her heart beating to hard with outrage and an odd sense of betrayal. Sure, they disliked each other, but to blame Weiss for that? To even think to twist that around to a possibility? Something of that measure? It was bullshit.

She didn’t want to fight. She just wanted to go home, Weiss paused in her walking… _but aren’t I home already?_ These are the halls she grew up in. But when did she see it as only the Schnee estate and not home? Weiss’ angered face relaxed into a sadder one.

When she thought of home she pictured Beacon, another kingdom away, with people she was even closer to than her own sister. When she thought of home it was the smell of roses and gunpowder. It was Yang’s hugs and casual shows of affection from grabbing her hand to slapping her on the back and mussing up her hair. It was Blake’s quiet laughter, the flipping of pages in the background, her biting wit parrying with Weiss’. Ruby’s optimism and enthusiasm being the reason Ruby dragged her to who-knows-where in the name of fun and team building exercises. That was home.

When did this house stop being her home?

A disappointed voice tsked in her ear, “What happened? You used to have more fire in you.” Weiss felt her shoulder being grabbed and she was flung into the wall before her sister boxed her in with her arms. The younger glared with a rare show of anger, her teeth gritted and hate in her eyes. But Weiss just looked at her.

She was her mirror in every way; Winter was even right-handed while Weiss was left. If they clasped hands it would look like a perfect reflection. The only exceptions being Weiss’ scar and that Winter’s ponytail was perfectly in the middle in juxtaposition to her sister’s rebellious show of breaking symmetry. “Do you give up? Will Miss Perfect admit defeat?” Winter sneered.

“…Yes, I do actually.”

Winter was stunned and taken off balance, but she didn’t move her arms. However, her expression turned from anger to surprise before settling onto bemusement. “Y-you what?”

“I give up. I’m done. I’m fed up with this,” The older twin gestured between the two of them. “When was the last time we even acted like sisters? We can’t hold a conversation before insulting each other by the third sentence. It’s draining and completely unnecessary, Winter. Why can’t we go back to how we used to be as kids?” The thought of Ruby and Yang laughing, talking, hell, even just interacting was worlds away from the twins’ behavior.

The younger twin bitterly laughed and shook her head, “We can’t go back. What are you talking about? We weren’t even sisters. Ever.”

“That’s not true. We just…lost our way a bit…we can try again, I’m sure we can fix whatever broke us apart. And—I can’t believe I’m saying this but—maybe you can meet my partner and her sister. They’re a bit annoying, and complete dunces,” Weiss allowed herself a soft secret smile, ‘but they love each other. I have no doubt that they would like to meet us and help—” Her sister’s manic laughter cut her off.

“What broke!?” Winter laughed sourly, leaning more on the wall. “Are you serious? You cannot be this dumb!”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at us, we are the same, but between us, a single person would always be the doted one. The _one_ who would never gained Daddy’s attention and love. Daddy would always be proud of _the other_.” Winter beat the wall with every word, “No matter how little _one_ failed while _the other_ soared despite many mistakes, no matter how hard the _one_ worked _the other_ would just show her up.”

Winter looked up at Weiss with all the fury in the world and yelled, “It’s didn’t count in anyone’s eyes whether _one_ would do everything she possibly could to please, she would be overshadowed by _the other_. _One_ calls him “Daddy” while _the other_ only regards him as “Father”. That _one_ would never take for granted anything while _the other_ does all that and then casts it all away for huntressing with only a slap on the wrist and a promise of the company anyways. That _one_ who was only a backup, a decoy, an accessory. _Why aren’t you the one who fails?_

"Two minutes. That’s the answer. _Two goddamn minutes made all the fucking difference in the world!_ _You_ were born with the title of Heiress, while _I got nothing_. You even have Myrtenaster, the family heirloom as your weapon! Even though you are marred, the broken side of the mirror…Everyone still. Loves. _You_.” Winter panted heavily, her voice hoarse from screaming.

Her twin only looked on in shock. How could she be _so_ blind to something as simple as that? And now Winter, perfect looking Winter, always looking to make sure someone noticed her, was now in front of her looking like a mess. Her face was red and stained with tears not yet felt by the twin, her knuckles were bleeding from punching the wall so hard, and a normally perfect ponytail now was slipping and hairs stuck out to the side.

Weiss may be marred, but it was Winter who was broken.

Weiss reached her hand up to wipe off the tears. “I’m sorry.”

Winter moved her face from her sister’s hand before staring emptily at the ground, “No you’re not, Miss Perfect.” The younger twin spat.

“I’m not perfect. And to be honest, if being perfect hurts people—hurts you—like this, then I would happily cast it aside. You’re right to be spurned; you deserve more, more happiness, more love, j-just… more. I can’t change that I was born first, or foisted the title of Heiress.”

“Then can’t you just give it to me?” Winter looked up at her with hope. It hurt Weiss to break it.

“…I can’t. I wish I could.” She crossed her arms and looked at the ground, “I have been trained and paraded around all my life in preparation for inheriting the company. If I gave it to you, Father would reject it, and even if he didn’t, the harsh lessons, the rebuilding of company relations, all of it would be undone and the blame would fall to both of us.” Weiss hugged Winter to her and slid to the floor with her, placing the younger twin’s head in her lap and soothingly petted her hair. “I…also I have promises I want to keep,”

Weiss thought of Blake and her passion for better relations with the Faunus, to hopefully make the White Fang unneeded and stop the war between them. To get Ruby’s thoughts on weapon development and how to make machines that made mining less dangerous and more efficient. In addition, she bitterly thought, the promises her father made in her steed, ones that she would be obligated to uphold.

“To be honest, I was always jealous of you Winter. You weren’t expected to be perfect and upstanding every moment of everyday. No harshness, no dealing with disgusting business partners and their idiotic and grabby sons. But…I didn’t realize that your “freedom” meant feeling neglected. I never wanted that. Maybe when I become CEO, I can put you in some position instead of you being cut out of the company completely. It should be—no, _is_ , your birthright too. I think you’d do a great job in negotiations or as a representative, or even legal. Heh, no one would fuck with you in legal.” Weiss chuckled and she could feel a smile on her stomach before a soft laugh came out of her twin.

“You ramble too much.” Winter murmured.

“Ruby must be rubbing off on me.” Weiss mused as Winter repositioned herself to sit side-by-side with Weiss on her right.

“Heh… I guess this Ruby girl’s the reason why you’ve changed so much. I would never have even dreamed of an apology out of you, though it was a bit long and shitty.” Winter smiled, genuinely smiled at Weiss, who thought she’d never see that expression directed at her ever again.

“My apology skills are kind of…new. At least it didn’t take a weekend plus twelve hours to deliver it.” Her twin squinted, and looked at her to see if she was lying. “Yeah. Long story.”

“Well, now I feel flattered that you worked out your apology skills enough to give one to me in a promptly manner.” Winter paused a bit in thought before running a hand through her hair. “I’m still kind of angry, and I suppose…hurt. But I understand why you can’t step down, because… you’re..well, tied down in a sense. I guess that it was foolish of me to believe that you would just hand the company to me, or rather Daddy would hand it to me. Placing the blame all on you was extremely childish—and unfair. So I will accept your apology and…if you would, please accept my own.”

Weiss was stunned yet again by her sister’s words. Words that have been her main weapon since she was young. Words sharp like her own Mytenaster, and as poisonous as arsenic. Winter wielded them with grace and power. Now, they were soft, comforting, and something long ago displaced found its way back to her heart. “I do.” She paused and smirked, “We’re absolutely bunk at apologizing aren’t we?”

The younger twin laughed, “We are a little rusty.” She couldn’t help but snort, and then laugh so hard it dragged Weiss right in its wake. Neither of them could remember when they last laughed like this, or how the walls echoed the sound, making the mansion feel homier. Their hands twined with the other’s Weiss left in Winter’s right, like it always was.

The heiress looked down at her sister’s hand, bruised and red, “Come on, we need to take care of that.” Weiss stood up with her sister and led the way to the in-house infirmary, hands still clasped together.

Winter sighed and smiled; the gesture a forgotten familiarity from days long past. To think of how they grew apart from each other and changed so dramatically that both twins forgot how they used to walk like this everywhere. They were each other’s other half, after all. “Maybe…I’ll meet your partner one day—she sounds…like a nice person.” She blushed.

“You should. I know she’d like that…and I could always spend more time with my sister.” Weiss smiled.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this sitting in my computer for a while because I couldn't decide how exactly to end it. But I think this works out nicely enough. Obviously I was thinking about Mirror, Mirror and thought about what if Winter was her twin? It's a common headcanon but I wanted to think about how'd they interact with each other. 
> 
> At some point I realized most of the Fandom writes Weiss' family as assholes, except for maybe her mother, but most thinks she died because who could mess up this precious disaster child? Well, no one shapes you like your relatives.


End file.
